Key Account Manager

Key Account Manager - HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes or Catering)

Location: London, with travel

Salary: £35-48,000 + benefits + car allowance + bonus

Our client's key accounts team helps to deliver their Clients purpose by building shared success with their customers, making access to the highest quality products in their portfolio and industry.

Within key accounts, they are focused on achieving outperformance across all of their channels, operating in highly competitive categories. This focus results in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where cross-functional teams are encouraged to collaborate to achieve success.

The Key Account Manager supports existing Clients and will have the accountability to drive the customer strategy for executing business growth. Playing a key leadership role in the Sales team, you will oversee the achievement of customer and channel plans by overseeing the full lifecycle customer business management.

You will have at least three (3) years of business development account management experience within the coffee or FMCG industry with experience selling into a broad portfolio of customers ideally high-end and authentic establishments, HORECA category (little black book), a strong understanding of FMCG fast-moving consumer goods, with a degree from a top university, demonstrated strong fact-based selling, and demonstrated growing business with significant sales results. An entrepreneurial mindset is key as they take their strategies to new heights. Is this you? If yes, apply today for consideration.

The role:

1. Develop and manage customer relationships with buyers; contribute to customer strategy ensuring national business objectives are achieved.
2. The Key Account Manager assists the Commercial Director, Key Accounts in building relationships with Key Account customers and growing top-line sales by building brand awareness, equities, and supporting brand standards.
3. Achieve/exceed all key sales measures and targets for the accounts (Net Revenue, Company Operating Profit, Net Working Capital, and trade spend).
4. Work in close partnership with brand marketing to ensure development and implementation of customer category strategy and best-in-class execution.
5. Partner with Demand Planning to ensure customer service levels are met/exceeded.
6. Work with Category Development Managers to develop plans to drive category/trade business plans; work with field sales to manage customer as key stakeholder.
7. Develop promotional strategy in customers, and promotional execution (including trade budget management, range, and space optimisation).
8. Manage customer negotiations in relation to the commercial strategy and customer's trading terms.
9. Overall Continuous Improvement - identifying opportunities for efficiency and profitability and overall improvement in the management of categories.
10. Develop and lead advanced customer engagement strategy including joint business planning, innovation, and day-to-day business.
11. Develops a best-in-class prebook selling program, balanced with an in-season sell-in and replenishment program.

The person:

1. Degree educated ideally including a year in industry.
2. 3-5 years related sales or key account experience.
3. Must have progressive experience gained within an FMCG environment ideally with some coffee experience.
4. Previous account management experience within Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés, and high-end catering organisations is essential.
5. Ability to travel required.
6. Strong knowledge of sales function processes and cross-functional exposure to other business operations.
7. Excellent commercial and financial acumen.
8. Strong understanding of FMCG industry including key drivers in the economic and commercial landscapes.
9. Strong knowledge of syndicated data and customer management process, as well as Microsoft Office.
10. Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
11. Ability to self-motivate and self-manage to meet deadlines and goals.
12. Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing, and growing work environment.
13. Experience pulling, sorting, and analysing data or other syndicated data.
14. Experienced in preparing sales presentations for both small and large audiences.

Skills required for success:

1. Key Account Management
2. Analysing sales data
3. Leadership skills
4. Consumer Insights
5. Shopper Insights
6. Category Analysis
7. Collaboration and partnership skills
8. Influencing
9. Consultative Selling
10. Customer strategy
11. Channel strategy
12. Sales strategy development
13. Perform product planning
14. Business acumen
15. Commercial acumen
16. Sales negotiation
17. P&L Management
18. Strategy Execution
19. Operational Excellence

To apply please email your CV.